Clear At John Wayne Airport: What You Need To Know

John Wayne Airport (SNA) is located in Santa Ana, California. It is one of the best airports in the U.S., known for its ease of travel and convenient access to nearby attractions such as the Anaheim Convention Center and Disneyland. While the airport offers various amenities and services, it does not currently have CLEAR, a trusted traveler program that allows faster passage through security. CLEAR is available at over 55 airports across the U.S., including some smaller regional airports, but John Wayne Airport is not one of them. There was an expectation that CLEAR would be launched at John Wayne Airport by mid-2023, but that has not come to pass.

John Wayne Airport does not have CLEAR

CLEAR is a paid service that allows people to move faster through airport security or in designated CLEAR lanes at TSA checkpoints. The service uses biometrics at pods instead of ID documents to verify people's identities. CLEAR is available at more than 50 airports, including nine of California's 13 major airports.

TSA PreCheck is an expedited screening system where travelers don't need to remove their shoes, belts, laptops, or jackets when going through security. It has dedicated screening lanes at more than 200 airports and 90 airlines.

According to a source, John Wayne Airport was expected to launch CLEAR by mid-2023, but that date has passed with no update.

CLEAR is a paid service

John Wayne Airport does not currently have CLEAR. However, CLEAR is a paid service that allows people to move faster through airport security or in designated CLEAR lanes at TSA checkpoints. The service uses biometrics at pods instead of ID documents to verify people's identities. It is available at more than 50 airports, including nine of California's 13 major airports. Clear Plus members can also enjoy faster entry at some stadiums and other venues.

CLEAR is a separate service from TSA PreCheck, which is an expedited screening system where travelers don't need to remove their shoes, belts, laptops, or jackets when going through security. It has dedicated screening lanes at over 200 airports and 90 airlines.

Bundling the two services promises "the best of both worlds." According to the TSA, "You'll be able to verify your identity quickly at security checkpoints using the CLEAR Plus pod. Then, a friendly Ambassador will walk you to the front for TSA screening, where you'll experience a smoother screening process with TSA PreCheck."

The cost of CLEAR Plus is $189 per year, although there are ways to bring the price down. For example, having a Delta SkyMiles or United MileagePlus account will get you a $10 discount. Additionally, holding an Amex Platinum or American Express® Green Card will cover the entire cost.

CLEAR is expanding its footprint and is now available at over 55 airports across the US. However, it still has a long way to go before becoming a mainstay for travelers, as compared to the 200 US airports offering TSA PreCheck.

CLEAR is available at over 55 airports

CLEAR is a privately-run trusted traveler program that uses fingerprints or iris scans to confirm the identity of travellers, allowing them to skip to the front of the standard or TSA PreCheck security line at the airport. CLEAR is available at over 55 airports across the United States, including Puerto Rico.

CLEAR is mainly available at major Delta and United hubs, such as Atlanta (ATL), Detroit (DTW), Newark (EWR), and Chicago-O'Hare (ORD). However, it has also expanded to secondary hubs and smaller regional airports.

• Austin–Bergstrom International Airport
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport
• Boston Logan International Airport
• Bradley International Airport
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport
• Calgary International Airport
• San Francisco Bay Area, CA
• Chicago Midway International Airport
• Chicago O'Hare International Airport
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
• Northern Kentucky (Cincinnati), OH
• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport
• Dallas Love Field Airport
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport
• Denver International Airport
• Detroit Metro Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport
• Gerald R. Ford International Airport
• Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport
• Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
• Halifax Stanfield International Airport
• Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Harry Reid International Airport
• Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport
• John F. Kennedy International Airport
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport
• Juan Santamaría International Airport
• San Jose, Costa Rica
• Kansas City International Airport
• Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
• London Luton Airport
• London, United Kingdom
• Los Angeles International Airport
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport
• Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport
• Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport
• Madison Square Garden
• Miami International Airport
• Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport
• Minneapolis−Saint Paul International Airport
• Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
• Nashville International Airport
• Newark Liberty International Airport
• Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport
• Oakland International Airport
• Ontario International Airport
• San Francisco Bay Area, CA
• Orlando International Airport
• Palm Beach International Airport
• Palm Springs International Airport
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport
• Pittsburgh International Airport
• Raleigh-Durham International Airport
• Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport
• Warwick (Providence), RI
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
• Sacramento International Airport
• Salt Lake City International Airport
• San Antonio International Airport
• San Diego International Airport
• San Francisco International Airport
• San Francisco Bay Area, CA
• Sarasota Bradenton International Airport
• Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport
• Amsterdam, North Holland
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• St. Louis Lambert International Airport
• Toronto Pearson International Airport
• Tulsa International Airport
• Vancouver International Airport
• Vancouver, British Columbia
• Washington Dulles International Airport
• Westchester County Airport
• Will Rogers World Airport
• William P. Hobby Airport

CLEAR is not available at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. However, John Wayne Airport is one of the few airports in the US that allow non-travellers to visit the terminal past TSA security.

CLEAR uses biometrics to verify identities

CLEAR is an American technology company that operates biometric travel document verification systems at major airports and stadiums. It is the most visible biometric identity company in the United States. Over the past two decades, CLEAR has put more than 100 lanes in 58 airports across the US, and in the past decade, it has entered 17 sports arenas and stadiums.

CLEAR's mission is to create frictionless experiences. With more than 15 million members and a growing network of partners across the world, CLEAR's identity platform is transforming the way people live, work, and travel. CLEAR's identity platform connects users to the things that make them who they are, making everyday experiences easier, more secure, and friction-free.

CLEAR's identity verification system uses biometrics at pods instead of ID documents to verify people's identities. This system is available at more than 50 airports, including nine of California's 13 major airports. CLEAR members can also enjoy faster entry at some stadiums and other venues.

CLEAR's biometrics technology relies on unique physical and behavioral characteristics such as faces, fingerprints, irises, voices, and gaits, among others, to identify each individual. These characteristics typically remain stable during people's lifetimes. Using biometrics for identification can be convenient since people may misplace their wallets or forget security questions. However, if a database of biometric information is compromised, it can be dangerous as people cannot easily change their faces or fingerprints to secure their data again.

CLEAR has received patents for "physical token-less security screening using biometrics," which allows a person to be identified using their individual and distinctive biometric identity. The company has been successful in filing and receiving several patents over the years. On February 4, 2020, the company was granted the ability to ticket people through their biometric identities.

While CLEAR's biometrics technology offers convenience and enhanced security, there are concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and equity. There have also been security lapses, such as an incident where a passenger using a false identity passed through the system and was found to be carrying ammunition. Additionally, there have been incidents where individuals not enrolled in the program were escorted through TSA security checkpoints without presenting their identification. These incidents have raised questions about the effectiveness of CLEAR's security measures.

CLEAR is a TSA PreCheck enrollment provider

CLEAR is a separate program that uses biometric data (like a fingerprint or eye scan) to speed travelers through airport security. CLEAR is now the TSA's third official PreCheck enrollment partner, after Idemia and Telos.

CLEAR Plus is a paid service that allows people to move faster through airport security or in designated CLEAR lanes at TSA checkpoints. The service uses biometrics at pods instead of ID documents to verify people’s identities. It’s available at more than 50 airports, including nine of California’s 13 major airports. Clear Plus members can also have faster entry at some stadiums and other venues.

TSA PreCheck is an expedited screening system where travelers don’t have to remove their shoes, belts, laptops, or jackets when going through security. It has dedicated screening lanes at more than 200 airports and 90 airlines.

According to the TSA, bundling the two services promises “the best of both worlds.” Travelers can verify their identity quickly at security checkpoints using the CLEAR Plus pod and then a friendly Ambassador will walk them to the front for TSA screening where they’ll experience a smoother screening process with TSA PreCheck.

People can now enroll or renew their TSA PreCheck membership with CLEAR at the Sacramento International Airport, Orlando International Airport, or Newark Liberty International Airport. CLEAR plans to expand to other airports in the future.

Frequently asked questions